Christmas at Sea

A gale blew in on Christmas Eve;
we headed out to face the angry sea,
some 80 crew away from home,
including one tired navigator, me.

Our Coast Guard Cutter was “bucking” out
from Port-au-Prince, where we had served
long weeks on our patrol, but now,
we longed for rest so well deserved.

Then we received a call that took
us off our Portsmouth course,
to save those lives in peril of the sea--
for now the storm increased in force;

We knew that Santa would not come to us,
those “Always ready; Semper Paratus.”